Vortex Chronicles: The Complete Series (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles)

by Elise Kova

  Either way, it forced Vi to relax some. Her demeanor had Vi working to remove herself in a similar way—look at all that was happening from the outside. It didn’t directly affect or relate to her, not really. She only had one goal and that was to do whatever it took to prevent the Crystal Caverns and weapons from being destroyed while saving as many people as she could in the process.

  Of course, this distance was fabricated and skin deep. At her core, Vi couldn’t deny the simmering hatred she felt for the Knights of Jadar for what they had done and would do to her family—a hatred that only grew by the day.

  “Either way, he won’t be here to deny the search, and no one else in his employ should be able to refuse me.”

  “You’re confident in that?” Vi asked, glancing over at Deneya. The world blurred at the edges of her vision with bright shifting light. She was using durroe for an illusion once more. This time Vi had experimented with basing the masquerade off the face of a real person and the body and clothes of a different real person—a hybrid of real to make something fake. According to Deneya, her work was as flawless as it was the first two times she’d seen it.

  “Look at me. Do I look like a woman who has ever not been confident in her life?”

  “No.” Vi refrained from bringing up Taavin’s mention of her cheating on an exam during their first interaction. She’d looked very uncertain then.

  “Good. You play your part, I’ll play mine. We start with the two warehouses on the left side and work our way to Twintle’s.”

  Vi didn’t quite like the plan. The idea that they would go to other warehouses under the guise of a surprise inspection before arriving at Twintle’s—theoretically giving Twintle’s men time to learn they were coming and hide any evidence of the Knights—still rankled her. But Deneya was confident in the best approach and Vi would give the woman the benefit of the doubt. She’d yet to disappoint her.

  The first warehouse was on the far end of the docks; Vi could smell it long before they arrived. It belonged to a prominent fish trader and Vi resisted the urge to cover her nose as she perused the rows of fish nearly the size of her, laid out for bidding. She was more than ready to depart when Deneya issued them the all-clear.

  The next warehouse belonged to a logger, barging lumber from the North. Vi stared up at the massive chunks of wood, knowing they were mere fractions of the sentries she’d grown up in. She wondered how long until this man’s business was shut down due to the Emperor’s encroachment on Shaldan.

  Finally, after spending the better part of the morning in the first two warehouses, they were on to Twintle’s. His was around the middle of the bustling docks, toward the richer side of town. Vi paused, staring out at the ships. Her eyes swung to the far corner, the oldest stretch.

  On all of her maps, those docks had always been there. They were the humble start of the greatest port on the Dark Isle. They had been there… when the scythe left.

  The vision Vi had on Meru was in the forefront of her mind: an Eastern man with hazel eyes, standing at those docks, bestowing a scythe-shaped velvet-wrapped parcel on a ship captain. That was the spot where the scythe had left this land and—

  “Are you all right?” Deneya startled her from her thoughts.

  “Wh—oh, yes.” Vi glanced back to the far end of the port.

  “What is it?”

  “Nothing, it’s nothing.” She shook her head. “Just remembering something. Let’s carry on.”

  There were two men posted as guards on either side of the narrow entrance to Twintle’s warehouse.

  “Good afternoon gentlemen,” Deneya said lightly. The two men gave gruff nods, regarding them warily. Deneya leaned over, glancing at the ledger Vi held open. “I see this is… oh right, Lord Twintle’s storehouse. Of course.”

  “What business would you have here, ma’am?” the shorter of the two men asked.

  “You might not know me, but I am Denja, the councilor for commerce.” Deneya held out a hand and Vi slipped a piece of paper into it, just as they had for the first two warehouses. On it was Fiera’s handwriting and both the royal seal of Mhashan, and a much more recent Imperial seal. “Everything should be in order verifying my credentials.”

  “Yes, councilor, how may we assist you?”

  “I am performing inspections on warehouses today at the docks. Standard procedure to make sure all goods have been properly accounted for and the recent Imperial taxes levied against them.”

  The two guards shared a glance. Vi couldn’t tell if they were genuinely surprised or not to see them and it made her shift her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.

  “We’re afraid the Lord isn’t present at the moment.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Deneya brought her index finger to her jawline. Feigning ignorance was not the woman’s strong suit. “He is traveling right now, isn’t he? But here or not, this is something none of the traders are exempt from. If you could just allow us inside, my assistant will catalog goods and I’ll cross-reference that against taxes paid yesterday.”

  “Lord Twintle explicitly instructed that we were to allow no one in until his return,” one of the guards said hesitantly.

  “As I said, no one is exempt.” Deneya put her hands on her hips. “Please don’t make me hike all the way back to the castle to get the Imperial guards and do this by force—none of us wants that.”

  The guards had a quick mental conversation that ultimately ended in a shrug from the taller man and an indifferent expression from the shorter.

  “All right,” he said. “But be quick about it. And we’ll need to escort you the whole time.”

  “Very well.”

  With that, they were inside.

  The warehouse was a simple build—little more than a brick box. Windows lined the upper portion of the walls just under the roof, no doubt to let out the rising heat from the Western sun. But they were currently shuttered, which meant the building felt like an oven.

  It was surprisingly empty. Larger crates lined the walls along the outside. Rows of smaller ones that came up to Vi’s waist stretched away from the door for about half of the space. In the other half, they were stacked in mountains. The logic of the two sorting methods was lost on her.

  “While my assistant verifies the goods, could you please show me the most recent ledgers?”

  “Of course.” The shorter man went off to a far corner with Deneya, rummaging through a chest. That left the taller man with Vi.

  She walked down the first row of crates, straining to open a heavy lid. Inside the box, settled on a nest of wood shavings, were some of the largest sapphires Vi had ever seen. Most were rough-cut, but they would still produce several stones of enviable quality in the hands of a skilled jeweler.

  “Jewels,” she murmured. “I thought Twintle was keeping fish and food?”

  “That was only for the siege. His fleet was the smallest and fastest—they could slip past any Imperial vessels. Now he’s sold off most of those wares.” The man paused, narrowing his eyes at her. “I would think you would know that as the assistant to the councilor.”

  Vi laughed brightly and moved onto the next crate. “I’m sure you know how it is… they never tell the help anything. Just expect us to read their minds.”

  “Isn’t that the truth.” He shook his head sadly.

  “So he deals in gems now.” Crate after crate was filled with sparkling items that would fetch incredible prices. Where did Twintle get the money to invest in such a pricey business? And just how much was here?

  “Rumor on the docks is the Le’Dans are quite sour because of it.”

  “Oh?” Vi paused, sliding up to the man. She made it a point to glance over at Deneya and the other guard. “Say, what’s your name?”

  “Adeem.”

  “Adeem,” Vi repeated. “I do love good gossip, especially when it involves nobles.”

  “Who doesn’t?” He chuckled. “All I know is that Richard Le’Dan has come by twice and both times were… quite co
ntentious.”

  “I see.”

  “Twintle said that’s part of why he’s hired us to guard the place. He’s worried the Le’Dans will come during one of his secret meetings.”

  “Secret meetings?” Vi could feel the muscles around her ears tense, as though they were trying to widen themselves so she could better hear what he would say next. This was what she had come here for.

  “They happen at night. I think it’s Twintle’s suppliers and movers. Men and women—mostly men, though—come carrying crates in and out.”

  “What do they look like?” Vi asked, trying not to sound too eager.

  “Twintle is very secretive about his trading practices… They all wear red hoods, like a Crone.”

  Vi laughed. “How odd,” she said lightly, though inside she was barely bottling her excitement. Twintle had moved the meetings of the Knights of Jadar from his home to his warehouse and he was amassing wealth for the Knights there. He was likely distributing it as well. Everything lined up with the bits of information Deneya had collected. “Do you know when the next meeting is?”

  “I imagine when the Lord is back. He usually holds them once per week, right at the end.” The guard shrugged. “Though, again, it’s not as if they tell me anything.”

  “Right…” Vi’s eyes landed on a stretch of chests locked with heavy padlocks. She began rummaging through her bag. “Adeem, can you be a dear and please go fetch me a quill? I seem to have misplaced mine.”

  “Of course.” He eagerly scampered off.

  Vi leaned over, crouching behind one of the chests to hide her motions. “Juth calt.”

  The lock was off and Vi set it aside. She opened the chest hastily, not even wasting time with a glance in Adeem’s direction. Rubies winked up at her in the low light of the warehouse’s flame bulbs.

  Rubies… Vi closed the chest, straightening away and looking at all the other identically locked chests. Chests of Western rubies.

  “Here you go.” Adeem had returned, and he wasn’t alone.

  “Everything checks out on my end,” Deneya said in a tone that implied she wouldn’t be able to stall for much longer. Which was fine—Vi already had the information she needed.

  “Mine as well. Thank you both for your flexibility in this.” Vi made some marks in a ledger and smiled brightly at both the guards, imagining her illusioned cheeks dimpling.

  “Yes, thank you.” Deneya started for the door. “I’ll be sure to let Twintle know that he has cleared inspection and remains in good standing with the crown.” They emerged back into the sunlight. “You two have a lovely day.”

  Vi gave a wave, hastening beside Deneya before there were any further exchanges.

  “Find anything?” Deneya asked when they were out of earshot and halfway to the next warehouse. They had three to go to ensure the surprise inspections couldn’t be questioned.

  “Two things, actually.”

  “Oh? Do tell,” she asked eagerly.

  “The first is that he has chests of Western rubies.”

  “How many?”

  “I counted at least eight.”

  Deneya hummed. “That should be past the legal limit. King Rocham imposed mining sanctions on the stones about two decades ago. Though, knowing Twintle, he’d argue that it was a law made by an old king and is currently unclear under Imperial law.”

  “So not illegal, and not inherently nefarious?”

  “Not nefarious, though suspicious… Good Western rubies fetch prices that can make your head spin. The reason Rocham banned them was because of an attack by Adela on a mine not far from the coast at the southern border. Combined with the difficulties surrounding their mining.”

  “I see,” Vi murmured, eager to change the topic off Adela as quickly as possible. “The guard—Adeem—also told me that Twintle has been hosting gatherings of his ‘suppliers.’”

  “Now that sounds interesting.” Deneya stopped walking to give Vi her full attention.

  “It was. Men and women apparently coming and going in red hoods. Hiding their faces. Keeping others out at all costs.” Vi glanced back at the warehouse. “I think we might have discovered the Knights of Jadar’s new meeting spot and, even better, I think I know when the next meeting is.”

  And that meant the next time all the Knights were gathered, she would be ready to strike.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Twintle was gone for about two months. His absence forced Vi to be patient, and to sit with her decision to take an active position against the Knights. The time also gave her ample evenings to continue working with the Sword of Jadar.

  After Raylynn questioned if Vi could make the girl her own crystal weapon, Vi was no longer practicing with it as she would any other sword. Now, she focused on the magic, imagining it brightening and changing underneath her fingertips as it had with the ancient Champion.

  The sword was suspended between Vi’s knees as she slowly pushed and pulled at the magic that surrounded it. The magic was becoming a tangible thing, like a taffy that oozed between her fingers if she tried to hold onto it for too long, but solid enough for her to get good draws against it. She could sit for hours, moving it between her hands. Each time she turned it over she felt something new and different, as if a distant corner of her soul was ignited by it.

  “As fascinating as it is to watch,” Taavin said from where he sat across from her, “I’m still not sure what you’re trying to accomplish.”

  “That makes two of us,” Vi murmured, holding her focus. She’d made a cage of her fingers, the air within shimmering. “But you said I’ve not tried to manipulate Yargen’s magic or the crystals the ninety-two other times. So why—” Vi glanced at him and her concentration was broken. The magic snapped back into the sword with a palpable crack. Vi sighed. “Why not be rebels and explore this as a possible tool to help us end this cycle?”

  “The way we end this cycle is by making sure nothing happens to that sword and, sooner over later, getting it as far as possible from this city.” He stared at her for a long minute, shook his head, and proceeded to become fascinated with a corner of the room. Vi hated how even when she was frustrated with him, the angular lines of his heartbreakingly beautiful profile softened her. She returned her attention to the weapon.

  “I think I can do it, because I think I’ve made crystals before,” Vi confessed.

  “What?”

  “It was when we were on Meru. When I crossed the shift to enter the Twilight Kingdom.”

  “You told me nothing of crystals then.”

  “I had a lot on my mind.” Twist, pull, hold. Vi wrangled the magic like her memories. “I was more focused on keeping you alive and saving my father than anything else. There were those tears in the shift, formed by the red lightning. When I passed through on my own for the first time, the magic in the watch protected me.”

  “You mentioned that. How do crystals come into play?”

  “Well, when the magic emerged from the watch, there was shimmering blue. It condensed and hardened around my feet. It protected me. When I made it through to the Twilight Kingdom, tiny shards of obsidian surrounded me. The shards looked identical to dormant crystal.”

  “I see…”

  “It makes sense, don’t you think? The crystals were formed from Yargen’s power. They contain her power. It’s as if the magic condensed…” Vi put pressure on the ball of magic she held in her hands. “… enough that…” Sparks flew between her fingers, increasing in brightness and density. “… it was given physical—” All at once the magic broke free and snapped back into place “—form,” Vi finished and finally turned her eyes to him.

  Taavin gazed at her with a peculiar intensity she hadn’t seen from him yet. Only he could make her feel on edge and completely relaxed at the same time. “Perhaps you’re right.”

  “Mother above, did it hurt to admit that?” Vi tilted her head back and let out a burst of laughter. Lifting the sword off her lap, she set it to the side and gave Taavin her full
focus.

  He ignored the remark. “Perhaps that’s the variable I haven’t been considering.”

  “The incident in the Twilight Forest?”

  “Yes. All this time I focused on what you did and what happened to you when you were sent back. I never stopped to consider how the events that happened before you fully assumed your mantle as Champion shaped and formed what came after.”

  It seemed rather obvious to her, but Vi resisted saying so. She’d already made one playful jab and they were having what seemed like productive discourse.

  “I think there was a unique sequence of events at play,” he continued. “Lightning strikes, you getting to the Twilight Kingdom, noticing the obsidian, and piecing together how those shards relate to the watch’s magic… all random variances between worlds.”

  Taavin stood with purpose. Holding out his hands, his lips began to move quickly. It never took him too long to draw on the wisdom of his past selves. When he finished, his attention was on her.

  “Well?”

  “I already knew there was no record of your obsession with manipulating crystal, but that confirms it.”

  “Does this mean we can say with certainty we’re on a new timeline?” Vi jumped up from her chair. “Zira is alive, nothing has befallen her—”

  “And some events will still transpire regardless,” he said firmly.

  “Maybe not, you don’t know.”

  “I—”

  “You don’t know,” she emphasized, then waited for his challenge. It never came. “We could be on a new timeline. Possibly a successful one. There’s only one way to find out.”

  “You want to go to an Apex of Fate.”

  “Yes, and I think I know where one is.” She’d been waiting for a convenient opening to convince him this was the right course. Tonight was that night.

  “Where?”

  “The port… where the Eastern descendant of the Champion gave up the scythe to send it to Meru.” His frown told her she was right in assuming it was an Apex. “The port is safe. I can conceal myself. It’s low risk.” Taavin ran a hand through his hair. He clearly didn’t want to agree with her. Vi persisted in the wake of his silence. “The wedding might have changed everything, and we don’t know.”